Chinese IT giant Baidu has rolled out the Apollo RT6, its Level 4 autonomous vehicle for taxi and ridesharing services coming in at just 250,000 Yuan. Buyers will have the option to buy the steering wheel and pedals or opt out of both.
In its completely autonomous mode, judging by the photos, the car only has a couple of seats divided by a center console with a large display. Two more consoles reside where the front seats usually are, one hiding a slide-out laptop panel and the other one concealing a mini-fridge. The manufacturer hints that there will be numerous other possibilities for on-board equipment, including even gaming consoles.
In fact, the entire cabin supports extensive customization. The steering wheel is little more than a racing yoke with a dash screen on it. Foregoing the yoke frees up space for an additional glove compartment.
From the design standpoint, the newcomes resembles a cross between an SUV and a minivan. It has sliding doors and a panoramic glass roof which is partially segmented. The wheelbase is 2.83 meters long. All other parameters, including drivetrain-related, remain to be revealed.
The company promises that the software and hardware on board ensures the autopilot system drives as responsibly as a driver with 20 years of experience. There are LiDARs installed inside the roof, body-mounted radars and other sensors totaling 38 in number. A powerful processing suite handles real-time orientation.
Baidu expects to begin commercial use of the Apollo RT6 in China next year.
